This invention relates to the system for the removal of liquid from vacuum lines, and a method for accomplishing same. In particular, this invention relates to a system and a method wherein liquids can be continuously removed from a long vacuum line without interrupting the continuous vacuum maintained in that vacuum line.
An example of such a system is sometimes installed surrounding petroleum refineries. In an effort to purge ground water of certain liquids, particularly volatile liquids such as benzene, paraffin, and light hydrocarbons which may seep towards the ground water from the petroleum refineries, water wells are drilled surrounding the refinery. Water from these wells is pumped into holding tanks, and a vacuum condition is maintained in the head area of the holding tanks above the water. This in turn facilitates the evaporation of liquids from the water. The cleansed ground water is then pumped back into the ground. The continuous vacuum maintained by vacuum lines for the entire network of water wells gives rise to significant evaporation into those vacuum lines, which in turn gives rise to significant liquids condensing out into the vacuum lines. As those liquid condensates accumulate, it is important to be able to drain the liquid condensates from those vacuum lines. It is advantageous to do so in a manner which does not interrupt the vacuum maintained in the vacuum lines. It is also advantageous to do so in a manner which allows independently operating drainage units that may be interspersed at various drainage points, and thus not to require an extensive and elaborate vacuum line system to have a single drainage spot such as a low point to which all condensates would drain.